Cade Cunningham vowed to be better after he missed a game-tying free throw that would have sent Wednesday’s 117-114 loss to the Boston Celtics into overtime, which halted their 13-game winning run.
“We all wanted it tonight. We all wanted 14 wins. I’m not going to act like it doesn’t mean anything to us. It’s a big deal,” Cunningham told The Athletic’s Hunter Patterson. “We wanted to be on that side of history. But it didn’t happen.”
“I can’t go back. I can’t shoot the free throws again. We can’t get up on threes again. The game’s over with. So, it’s about how we’re going to respond. It’s a lot of season left to go and accomplish a lot of great things. That’s where our minds are at,” he added.
The Detroit Pistons star contributed 42 points, eight rebounds, five assists, and four three-pointers on 12-for-26 shooting from the field and 14-for-16 shooting from the charity stripe in the nerve-wracking defeat on the road.
Detroit Pistons News: JB Bickerstaff is “proud” with his team despite latest loss
JB Bickerstaff also reflected on the team’s 13-game winning streak after losing to the Boston Celtics. Instead of feeling sad about how it ended, the Detroit Pistons head coach expressed gratitude for experiencing it in the first place.
“I couldn’t be more proud of the group win or loss. That’s just how they make you feel when you’re around them every day. They’re a phenomenal group… I’m very fortunate to be in this position with these guys,” Bickerstaff said via Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press.
Despite the loss, the Detroit Pistons remain atop the Eastern Conference standings with a 15-3 record and will aim to bounce back when they host the Orlando Magic in their final group stage game of the NBA Cup later.
